A Believer in Second Chances
by onceuponasavacamarah
Summary: After Neal's thudding entrance back to Neverland, he is taken right to the camp of his worst enemy - Peter Pan who insists that Neal should play his deadly game. One-shot. Daddyfire love.


"You're shorter than last time I've seen you, Pan."

Neal's tensed up hands began to wipe away the dirt that covered his - what seemed to be to lost boy - odd looking clothing, after being tossed to the ground hastily in front of the demon child called Peter Pan. Standing at his full height, Neal stood a full foot taller than the boy who caused him only pain for the centuries he wandered on Neverland's soil, yet he could only smile to himself as he realized that he looked nothing like the boys surrounding him or the boy that he once was. He was a grown man captured by a group of children.

But Neal knew what this group of children was capable of. He once was a part of these orphans, or lost boys as they are called. He played a part in the lives Pan ruined, the deadly games he played, and the sacrifices of his own life that came ever so often. He knew that these children indeed were not children, but demons creating for others a living hell.

A hell that he once lived through.

Pan only smiled as Neal rolled the sarcasm off his tongue. His yellow glowing eyes looked up and down the once upon a time lost boy he knew as Baelfire, or better known as the dark one's son. He smiled even more so as he realized how much his plan seemed to be going almost precisely as he planned it. He clapped his hands manically as if he already had won his deadly game and then walked over to Neal to pull him closer to his level.

"After all this time Baelfire, you finally decided to come home."

"Neverland was never my home."

The demon child smirked and let go of Neal's bluish shirt he held on to rather too tightly. He almost looked deep in thought and turned his back on his former lost boy.

"Right, right, lets see…what was that , Toledo, no…Tallahassee was it? Oh wait, that didn't seem to work out either did it?"

Neal pressed a foot forward out of rage, but four boyish hands held him in place. He breathed out a heavy sigh and bit his lip.

"Now boys, if he wants to come at me, let him. Com'on Baelfire, Let's play."

Neal only stood his ground and clenched his fists. He would never stoop to their level again. Not now, not ever.

"Where's Emma and where is my son?"

Pan didn't seem to be listening as he stood closer to the campfire and stretched out his hands to grab the warmth that it granted.

"It's sadly ironic how similar you are to your father. A coward that chose the fool's path and left his son behind."

Pan turned ever so slightly to see the expression that formed on Baelfire's face and was pleased.

"Your son will never forgive you. Kinda like how you will never truly forgive yours. And in that you'd agree with me."

Pan fully turned around to face the man who looked flustered and worn. He saw the emotion contained in his face and just how touchy the subject was to him, yet he kept it bundled up inside.

"I'm a believer in second chances, Pan. Now where's my son?"

The laugh that followed the comment echoed coldly through the lost boys camp and sent chivers through Neal's skin.

"I don't think you're in the position to make any requests Bae." Pan spoke while summoning a younger of the lost boys over to him. The red haired orphan nodded, grabbed a object leaning against the nearest tree and placed it in Neal's hands.

"And you think giving me a crossbow right now is an excellent choice?"

Neal examined the weapon in his hands. Old and rusty, it was his very own crossbow that he once possessed as a boy.

"Quite so. See Neal…that's what you're called now right?…you will get your son back, but first I have a test to see if you're fit to play my game. I think you'll be rather fond of this test."

"And what's the test. To kill you? Then you're right, I am quite fond of this."

Picking a small apple off the ground, Pan threw it over the heads of the onlookers nearby to Felix near the edge of the camp. A young blindfolded boy stood to Felix's right who was then faced in Neal's direction with the apple on his head.

"Test number one Baelfire," Pan said while patting Neal on his back. "Shoot that apple off of that boy's head."

"Who's the boy?"

"So you're not fit to play my game then?"

"WHO'S THE BOY?"

The shout echoed loudly and startled the blindfolded boy making the apple fall from his head. Felix almost instantly grabbed his knife and wrapped it around the boy's neck.

"You know, I recently asked your son to play this game. Do you know how he fared?"

Pan walked closer to the boy, pushed Felix aside and reached for the blindfold.

"He did exactly what you would of done."

"Aimed it at your meaningless corpse?"

"Well, he is your son."

The blindfold fell to the forest floor while Henry blinked his eyes and cleared his vision to see his supposed dead father stand afar off with crossbow in hand.

"Henry…"

"Neal…Dad?"

"Now do you see the importance of this test Baelfire?" Pan said interfering the family reunion.

Henry moved only a inch to find himself stayed in place by the vengeful leader. The apple again placed on his head.

"Complete my test…Daddy, then I grant you a happy embrace with your dear son. But only for a moment, for I have game I want you to play."

The mocking tone echoing in Neal's head made him tense and pull the crossbow to eye level. Gazing at the son he never thought he had, a single tear fell onto his cheek. The memories he made with Emma was his only glimspe of home he ever truly experienced. Henry was a piece of this happiness and here he was with crossbow in hand, aimed at this treasure Emma loved.

And he loved.

This was his second chance.

Seconds passed, minutes passed. The crackling of the fire, the animals sounding in the woods, and Neal's deep, heavy breaths was all that sounded within the camp. Henry stood motionless praying under his breath with his eyes closed and his lips moving ever so slightly.

_"I believe in you."_

Neal heard nothing, but saw the words form on his son's mouth. And in that single moment, the crossbow clicked and fired the arrow splattering the apple against the rotting tree trunk behind.

"So, what's this crap game you want me to play?"

"Welcome back Baelfire. But, this time…there is no escaping Neverland."


End file.
